This invention relates to an image recording apparatus which utilizes a developing sheet.
Conventionally, various types of image recording apparatuses have already been known from, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,399,209 and the like, in which a photo and pressure sensitive recording medium is subjected to predetermined exposure processing, and the photo and pressure sensitive recording medium and a developing sheet superposed one upon the other are pressurized to develop a latent image on the photo and pressure sensitive recording medium, onto the developing sheet. Further, an image recording apparatus has also been proposed by the same assignee as the present application, in which the developing sheet immediately after having been pressurized and developed is caused to pass through a nip between a pair of heat-treatment rollers or heat-fixing rollers, in order to improve the color characteristic and the gloss of the developed image on the developing sheet.
It is often desired that the image sheet obtained by the image recording apparatus is stuck on a postcard, or that the image sheet is inserted into a pair of transparent plastic films to stick the image sheet and the plastic films together, like a telephone card. In such case, however, a sticking or laminating device as shown in FIG. 1 has been required independently of the body of the image recording apparatus. Specifically, the sticking device comprises a pair of heat-treatment rollers 9 and 10, and a heater 8 for heating a lower one of the heat-treatment rollers 9. A transparent film 5 and an image sheet 6 serving as a sheet-like carrier are superposed one upon the other through hot-melt adhesive material 7. The transparent film 5 and the image sheet 6 superposed one upon the other are caused to pass through the nip between the heat-treatment rollers 9 and 10, so that the film 5 and the image sheet 6 are stuck together with the adhesive material 7.
In the image recording apparatus, moreover, from the nature of the function of the heat-fixing rollers, that is the heat-fixing of the image onto the developing sheet, the heat-fixing rollers are arranged adjacent the terminating end of the transport path along which the developing sheet is transported. That is, the heat-fixing rollers are located adjacent an inner surface of the side wall of a casing of the image recording apparatus. Usually, a platen for an original and other component parts are arranged at the top wall of the casing. Because of such arrangement, it is troublesome to position and assemble various component parts within the casing, resulting in an increase in the manufacturing cost. Further, it is difficult to restrain a rise in temperature due to the heat-fixing rollers in use of the image recording apparatus for a long period of time.